E-Readers Captivate Adults

Adults in the United States are warming to the idea of cracking the virtual spine of the latest best sellers. New research shows the number of adults in the U.S. who own e-readers doubled in six months.

It is estimated that now 12 percent of adults in the U.S. own an e-reader, such as Amazon’s Kindle or Barnes and Noble’s Nook. The success of the products, specifically designed for reading, is noticeably higher than that of tablet computers. Tablets experienced strong growth in sales in the same demographic last year, but since the beginning of the new year, growth has slowed.

The increasing acceptance of the e-reader by adult consumers is perhaps an early sign that the reading technology will become as ubiquitous as other mobile devices, like MP3 players. However, the research conducted by Pew Internet showed both the e-reader and the tablet still at the very early stages of adoption. E-readers’ doubled growth is impressive, but its overall 12 percent ownership in the adult U.S. consumer market pails in comparison to the 83 percent of adults who own mobile phones.

Adults in the United States are warming to the idea of cracking the virtual spine of the latest best sellers. New research shows the number of adults in the U.S. who own e-readers doubled in six months.

It is estimated that now 12 percent of adults in the U.S. own an e-reader, such as Amazon’s Kindle or Barnes and Noble’s Nook. The success of the products, specifically designed for reading, is noticeably higher than that of tablet computers. Tablets experienced strong growth in sales in the same demographic last year, but since the beginning of the new year, growth has slowed.

The increasing acceptance of the e-reader by adult consumers is perhaps an early sign that the reading technology will become as ubiquitous as other mobile devices, like MP3 players. However, the research conducted by Pew Internet showed both the e-reader and the tablet still at the very early stages of adoption. E-readers’ doubled growth is impressive, but its overall 12 percent ownership in the adult U.S. consumer market pails in comparison to the 83 percent of adults who own mobile phones.